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(No Model.)

2 R BI Lw Hm A u m e No. 507,609. Patented 0ct.31,1893.

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' WITNESSES.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

G. F. BILLWILLER. NAVIGABLE AIR SHIP.

No. 507,609. Patefited Oot. 31, 1893.

ATTORNEY Q' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL FRIEDRICH BILLWILLER, OF HOTTINGEN, SWITZERLAND.

NAVIGABLE AIR-SHIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,609, dated October 31 1893. Application filed April 20, 1893- Serial No. 471.062. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL FRIEDRICH BILL- WILLER, a citizen of Switzerland, residing at Hottingen-Zurich, Switzerland, l1ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Navigable Air-Ships, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved aerial ship, which is designed to be readily guided and controlled in its travel, irrespective of the direction of the wind. These objects are obtained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the entire aerial ship; Fig. 2 an end view of the propeller. Fig. 3,is a detail longitudinal section through outer end of hollow shaft 0. Fig. 4 is a top view and Fig. 5 a bottom view of the aerial ship. Fig. 6 is aview of the aerial ship as it rests upon a support before ascending. Fig. 7 shows the construction and arrangement of the steering gear.

The main bodyA A A of the improved aerial ship is substantially of an inverted conical form. The upper part-or base of this cone is surrounded by an annular receptacle D, the lower side oo of which is slightly inclined (about fourteen degrees) and serves for this reason as a parachute. The interior of the conical main body contains a cylindrical room E, and beneath it, a room M near the apex of the cone for freight. The room E, is divided horizontally into three compartments, the compartments J and L for the motor and the operative mechanism and the compartment Kfor passengers. Upon the uppermost compartmentL there is arranged an additional glass-building N for the steering gear. The lighting of the compartments J K L and M is effected either by sky-lights or by pipes a traversing the main body according to requirement. The compartments are accessible by means of hatchways I) made in the respective decks.

The upper surface of the main body is arranged as a deck for the stay or abode of passengers and is provided with a suitable railing 0' d. The remaining part 0 of the main body and the annular compartment D attached thereto are filled with gas, forming thus two separated buoyant chambers.

To propel the vessel the latter is provided slide in guides at n of the blades.

gear with a bevel-wheel e and the four bevel wheels f of the shafts g with the bevel-Wheel h; the bevel wheels 6 and It being keyed on suitable motor within the compartment J.

The construction of the propellers P and P is as follows: Each propeller is composed preferably of four helicoidal blades is (Fig. 2), which blades, except the blades of the main shaft t', are movably attached to rods Z connected with the shafts cor g. In Fig. 1 the surfaces of the blades are shown but in diagram, in order to explain more clearly the whole arrangement. Supporting links 'm m are connected with the movable blades and the rods Z, the ends of which links are adapted to Moreover each blade is connected by means of a rope 0 running over a roller 0, with a piston 10, sliding in a suitable bearing p inside the respective hollow shaft, (Fig. 3.) The bearing is capable of being moved in longitudinal direction between rails p and adapted to revolve with the shaft, Whereas the piston does not participate in this rotary motion but slides only in longitudinal direction, as the other end of the piston rod 10 passing through the hollow shaft is connected by means of a rope with a handwheel q for propellers P and a handwheel q for propellers P.

The two propellers P work together in the same direction so that at the same time the front propeller is pulling while the rear one is pushing, For this purpose the supporting links mm of the front propeller are arranged on the front side of the blades is and the ropes 0 running over the rollers 0 are fixed to the inner side of the blades facing the main body of the ship, in order to give resistance to the pressure of the wind on the rear surfaces of the blades and to enable the latter to fold against the shaft.

The paddles or p v the main shaft 1', driven or rotated by any;

On the upper side of the main deck and at right angles to the "shaft 0 of the propellers P, two shafts 7' 1' are arranged to operate the rudder-blades P P (Fig. 7). The latter are formed of large plates, for which especial rooms or casings are provided in the annular gas room D. The steering shafts r may be operated by means of handwheels t t (Figs. 1, 7). The rudders P are capable of adjustment so that according to the position given to these rudders with respect to the direction of the aerial ship, a corresponding deviation of the ship from this direction or course takes place.

As to the ascending of the aerial ship it is preferable to start the latter from a supporting frame Q (Fig. 6) whereon the ship rests so that a free revolution of the propellers is obtained.

Inconsequence of the centrifugal force, the hinged blades 70 will set themselves automat-i' callyat right angles to the shafts, so that the blades are acting exactly similar to the blades of a screw propeller.

For putting out of gear one or the other propeller, in order to change or to' adjust the aerial ship in its travel, the blades of the respective propeller are to be folded toward the shaft by means of the handwheels q or q and the pulling devices 10 19 19 p 0, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, in which position the blades 70 will not act as blades of a screw propeller. When folding the blades together, the friction rollers of the supporting links m m slide along between the guides at n. As soon as the blades are released they will automatically return into their effective position by means of the centrifugal force.

Having now particularly described and as certained the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. An air ship made of triangular form in vertical section and provided with a central rectangular chamber E, a lower chamber M, near the apex and an annular surrounding gas receptacle D, substantially as specified.

2. The combination in an air ship of hollow shaft 0 with rods Z, propeller blades 70 inovably secured thereto, connecting links m, and with a piston 19 and ropes for securing the blades to such piston, substantially as specified.

Signed at Zurich, Switzerland, this 20th day of March, 1893.

CARL FRIEDRlClI BILLWILLER.

Witnesses:

H. RAB-HART, P. Gnfionre. 

